Hi all! Thank you all so much for your reviews and your continued interest in this story :) So Greenseas (one of the reviewers!) requested a summary of the Xavier Daniels situation for those of you who don't watch One Tree Hill! So for those of you who have already seen one tree hill, you can skip to the chapter!

Brooke is attacked in her store, but she doesn't report it because she thinks it has something to do with her mother. But it was actually Xavier Daniels, but because she doesn't report it, he continued to commit crimes - killing a high school student and then kidnapping another high school student in two unrelated instances.

The high school student he kidnaps is Sam, Brooke's foster daughter. Here is a quick 3 minute video of Brooke rescuing Sam.

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(I put spaces in the link because a lot of times links don't work on this website - but if it still doesn't work the youtube video is called: Brooke's saving Sam and fighting with X.)

Also, Xavier never got convicted of killing the high school student (Quentin Fields), so he doesn't actually stay in jail that long.

Chapter 7

Jay had been watching out of the corner of his eye. He had been surprised when he saw Brooke fling her arms around her assistant, as if she was an old friend. He had expected a quick, no nonsense greeting before Brooke began bossing Millicent Huxtible around. But, just like he had been with Cara, he was wrong.

He was starting to wonder if he was wrong about a lot of things when it came to Brooke Davis. If maybe he had judged her a little too quickly.

He had been looking down at his desk, attempting to avoid staring at the pair of women in the room, when he heard Brooke's sharp intake of breath. And when he looked up, she looked like she had just seen a ghost.

Millie was calling her name with increasing urgency, but Brooke wasn't responding.

He stood from his desk as he watched her stare at an envelope in her hands. From his vantage point, it just looked like a regular envelope. She was holding it so carefully, though, as if it was something precious. But then the look on her face told a completely different story.

The face that had been red as a tomato in his car this morning was now as white as a sheet.

"Brooke?" Millicent called her name again, but Brooke seemed to ignore it. Or maybe she hadn't even heard.

She flipped over the envelope and opened it, and time seemed like it was moving in slow motion. To Jay, it seemed like hours before she finally unfolded the white paper and read the contents.

And then time sped up.

The paper slid gracelessly across the floor, falling down near Millie's feet. Then Brooke's leg seemed to buckle beneath her and she fell into the chair. She buried her face in her hands, but he could still hear the intensity of her breathing coming through her fingers.

"Brooke?" Her name came from his lips in a whisper. It was only when he rested his hand lightly on her shoulder that she seemed to even register another person's presence in the room.

She looked up at him, and as their eyes locked, he thought for a moment that maybe she felt it, too. The raw electricity that pulsed through him as they touched.

He was momentarily rendered speechless as he started into her hazel eyes. She looked so vulnerable and terrified, and he suddenly had an overwhelming desire to scoop her up and carry her somewhere safe, to protect her from the world.

"Brooke," The ragged and deep sigh that came from Millie as she spoke Brooke's name caused him to finally pull his eyes away.

He and Brooke both looked in Millicent's direction.

"Oh my god," Millie said, as her eyes continued to scan the letter she was holding in her hands. "Oh my god. Brooke. Oh my god." She choked out the words, and was seemingly unable to put any other words together.

"Millie," At some point Ruzek and Atwater had moved towards Brooke's desk, and they were all standing close together. "What is it?" Ruzek asked.

She didn't reply to him right away. Instead she lifted her eyes until she found Brooke's, and tears began to pool in her own. Millie tried to keep the tears in check, but swiped away the single tear that stubbornly escaped.

She seemed to be asking Brooke for permission to share, gesturing her head to the three concerned men that were standing in the room.

Brooke just nodded, unable to actually speak.

"It's Xavier Daniels," Millie said, as if that was explanation enough. And then she refolded the paper into the original trifold formation, and handed it over to Jay.

He opened the envelope, and with some trepidation, began reading the words aloud. "Dear Ms. Davis, We are writing from the Victim Notification System to inform you that your attacker Xavier Daniels will be released from prison in one week." He stopped after the first sentence to search for the date on the notice.

As if reading his mind, Atwater asked, "When was that written?"

"Two and a half weeks ago," Brooke's voice came out even raspier than usual, as if it physically hurt her to speak.

Jay took a deep breath, trying to force himself not to ask the question he was dying to ask. He knew the team was going to need the answer to the question, but coming from his own lips, he feared it might seem too personal. Like it was Jay asking, not Detective Halstead.

And considering his behavior over the last two days, he wasn't even sure she would answer him.

He needed someone else to ask.

But when no one did, he did the next thing he could think of. "We need to call Voight." And then he opened his phone and began to dial.

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"Okay," Voight's gruff voice had returned full force since he had escorted Brooke and Millie into the break room and closed the door behind them. "Xavier Daniels." As he posted a picture on the board, Jay felt momentarily relieved. He felt a tiny bit better knowing they had something to post onto the board. At least it meant another lead.

But then, Voight backed away revealing the 8x11 sized picture and all the blood seemed to drain from Jay's body. The man in the picture looked menacing.

Like serial rapist, brutal murderer, scum of the earth menacing.

He still didn't know what had happened, how Brooke had been victimized by this man, but he found himself praying it wasn't at bad as it seemed.

Adam stepped forward slightly, examining the picture. "What happened with Xavier and Brooke?"

Suddenly Jay had never been so grateful for Adam Ruzek and his questions.

"He brutally attacked her in her store." Jay flinched at the sound of Hank's words, but he didn't, wouldn't, allow himself to actually imagine it.

"Was she targeted?" That question came from Olinsky. Jay knew he was going to need to start speaking, to contribute something to the conversation, but his tongue suddenly felt as heavy as lead.

And even if he could finally speak, he knew that his first words wouldn't be a question. There were so many questions bouncing around his head, but he wouldn't be able to ask them.

No. His first words would be an apology. He would apologize to Brooke for judging her, for yelling at her, for thinking she was just another perfect celebrity with a perfect life.

"Kind of," Voight said. He was still trying to piece the story together himself. He had been livid when he had found out. Mostly because he had just found out moments ago. She could have called him. She should have called him. "All of that seems like a long story," he said. "And it's not as important as what happened after the attack."

Then, he turned and taped another piece of paper to the board. This one he had just printed from the Internet. It was a copy of an old tabloid magazine. One he couldn't believe he hadn't seen before. He tried to remember what must have been going on in his life at the time of Brooke's attack that he hadn't been aware of this breaking news story. Even if it was in Tree Hill, it was in the fucking tabloids. He should have known.

"Fashion Designer Tracks Down Attacker and Exacts Revenge." Burgess read aloud as she, too, moved closer to the board.

"Evidently, Xavier kidnapped Brooke's foster daughter," Voight was seething as he spoke. If there were two things he had zero tolerance for it was attacking women and kidnapping kids. "Brooke rescued her."

"How?" Jay hadn't even meant to ask the question, and was embarrassed when it slipped out.

He was rewarded by a glare from Hank Voight.

"It doesn't matter how." Voight said, his voice dripping with irritation. As far as he was concerned, that was not relevant. And he wasn't about to go and share irrelevant details about Brooke's personal life. She was entitled to as much privacy as he could possibly give her, especially now.

What was relevant, thought, was that this man, this Xavier Daniels, was probably out for blood.

"So, do we think this is all him?"

Once again, Jay found himself unbelievably grateful that Ruzek was on his team. Voight shifted his angry gaze away from Jay, and looked over to answer Ruzek's question.

Yes. "I don't know," Voight admitted.

"He's got to have help though, right?" Atwater chimed in. "I mean, how else do you explain the time lapse in the video surveillance at the apartment and the hotel?"

"Well," Voight said, considering the question. "We are just going to have to ask him."

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It was 7 pm, and they still hadn't tracked Xavier Daniels down.

Voight had put in a call to his parole officer back in Tree Hill, but he had nothing suspicious to report. Xavier was to check in daily by phone and in person once a week, and he had come in to the office four days ago for his scheduled meeting.

Voight also suspected that if there was anything suspicious to report, the seemingly lazy ass cops in Tree Hill, North Carolina wouldn't bother to report it.

Kim was in the break room talking to Brooke and Millie when Voight walked in. Brooke was nervously tapping her leg, and she had barely touched the tea Kim had made for her.

He was happy to see that Kim was being completely professional with Brooke. He would kill her if she started asking for an autograph.

"Brooke, Millicent," they turned as he said their names, and the three woman stood up.

"What's wrong Hank?" Brooke moved towards him, her face full of concern.

The four of them walked back into the bull pen to join the rest of the team before he gave her an answer.

"We haven't tracked down Xavier," he said, regrettably. "And I don't want you two staying in a hotel tonight."

"Okay?" Brooke drew out the word, not knowing what that meant. She certainly didn't feel comfortable sleeping in her apartment. Even if she was with Millie.

"Xavier was clearly following you," Hank continued. "I want you to stay with me until this all gets cleared up." At least this way, he know Brooke would be safe. Xavier Daniels could follow Brooke all he wanted now, because he clearly had no idea who he was dealing with.

Brooke knew she should refuse the offer. She didn't know how long it was going to take for 'this all to get cleared up.' And Hank Voight had actual responsibilities, real cases to tend to.

But the fear had crept it and taken hold, and so she couldn't bring herself to say no. Instead, she whispered a quiet, "Thank you," hoping she had been able to convey how much the offer meant to her.

"Good," he said, nodding and dismissing her thank you with a wave. "Then everyone is free to go home, and I'll see you all back here tomorrow at-"

He was cut off by the shrill sound of his cell phone ringing loudly in his pocket. He checked the number, and sighed loudly as he swiped across the screen to answer. "Commander," he tried to keep his voice calm. He did not have time for whatever this was. "What can I do for you?"

He listened to the Commander for several more moments, and no one in the bullpen moved.

He hung up the phone, and slipped it back into his pocket. "Three bodies at the riverwalk," he sighed, and then he turned to Brooke, giving her an apologetic smile.

He turned back to his team, "Everyone," he sighed again, knowing they were going to be in for a long night. "Suit up."

Brooke watched as the team sprung into action, retrieving their jackets and moving towards the hallway that lead to the locker room.

She stood their silently next to Millie, unsure of exactly what to do. Would they wait here for him to return? This was likely the safest place for them if Hank was working on a case, but how long would they have to be there?

"Halstead," Hank called out his name, and Brooke watched as he froze, his jacket only halfway up his arm.

"Sarge?" He looked over questioningly, and then slid his jacket up the rest of the way. "What's up?"

"Since you're still without a partner," Voight said, plainly. "Can Brooke and Millie stay with you tonight?"

Halstead was surprised that his boss formed it into a question, instead of a demand. He was even more surprised when his heart began to race at the thought of Brooke spending the night under the same roof as him.

"Sure," he replied, trying his best to keep his voice casual and steady, even though he was feeling anything but steady at the moment. Then he turned to the two women standing less than ten feet from him and said, "Give me five minutes to get my stuff, and then we'll go?"

Great, she wanted to say. Just great.

But instead she just nodded, knowing if she spoke the sound of her voice might betray her.

I get to spend the night with the one who yells.

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"This is where you'll be staying," Jay flipped on the lights to his second bedroom, directing Brooke and Millicent inside. "I hope this is okay," he said, gesturing to the lone queen bed in the center of the room.

"It's fine, Jay." Brooke answered, trying to keep the edge out of her voice.

She had been surprised at how civil and nice Jay had been since they left the station. He hadn't just been making small talk with Millie, but instead, he had really talked to her. And Brooke could tell by the follow up questions he had been asking that he was really listening, too.

"We can easily share a queen size bed," she said, looking at him and trying to give him a genuine smile.

If he could play nice, she could, too.

"Okay," he said, nodding. "There are towels in the closet over there, and the bathroom is down the hall."

"Thanks, Jay," Millie said, moving further into the room. Brooke noticed that her voice sounded a lot more genuine than hers. Oh, well.

"Your welcome," he said. "Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"We will," Brooke replied, even though she already knew she wouldn't take him up on the offer. It had been a long, stressful, and confusing day, and she just needed a moment alone. Away from his piercing blue gaze and his sudden shift in attitude.

When Jay finally left the room, her eyes traveled the room. She had been shocked by how clean his apartment was the minute she had walked inside, and this room was no exception. She was struck at how little it resembled the bachelor pads her friends had occupied in Tree Hill. Mouth and Skill's place always looked like a tornado hit it, and before Peyton moved in Lucas, his house wasn't much better.

Noticing Jay had left the white door slightly ajar, she moved to close the door quietly behind him.

"Brooke," Millie said, and even before Brooke looked at her, she could tell Millie was smiling at her. "Jay Halstead is hot. Like hot, hot." She didn't stop speaking, even as Brooke rolled her eyes. "And I think he likes you."

Brooke knew she was just trying to lighten the mood, to take her mind off of Xavier Daniels and the nightmare that was slowly becoming her life, but this was not a topic she wanted to talk about either. "He may be hot, hot, but he's also an ass, ass," she whispered pointedly, hoping her voice was low enough that Jay wouldn't be able to hear through the door.

She figured Jay knew she thought he was an ass, but she didn't need him knowing she also thought he was hot.

"He didn't seem like an ass," Millie said, seemingly confused.

And why wouldn't she be, Brooke thought. Jay had been a perfect gentleman. He had taken them to the Purple Pig for dinner, knowing they must be hungry. Evidently, it was his favorite restaurant. Mille had peppered him with questions about work, and he had been more than happy to oblige.

But he certainly didn't like her. Maybe he was being so nice all of a sudden because he liked Millie.

She didn't know why, but suddenly her heart seemed to sink at the thought.

But then a worse thought crept in, and her heart sunk even lower. Maybe Jay had finally dropped the attitude because he finally knew the truth, and he pitied her.

There was nothing Brooke Davis hated more than being pitied. It was the reason she had waited so long to tell her friends about her attack in the first place, it was the reason she hadn't mentioned it upon her arrival to Chicago.

She tried to shake that thought away. "Trust me," she said, as she began to undress and change into a pair of Millie's pajamas, because she hadn't thought to pack a second pair last night. "He is."

"Okay," Millie said, her voice high and sarcastic. After changing into her own pajamas, she switched off the overhead light and slid into bed. "It was nice of him to have us here, though." She added, her tone now more serious.

Brooke slid into the queen-sized bed beside Millie and turned off the bedside lamp, signaling the end of the conversation.

But then she shook her head, unable to get Millie's words out of her head.

I think he likes you.

It was nice of him to have us here.

No, he didn't. No, it wasn't. "He's just doing his job."

xoxo

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